Tuesday, August 31, 2010

CANCER is a life changing word

Many of you have had experience living with, caring for a loved one or knowing someone going through cancer.  I am not alone.  I watched my father battle Leukemia for years, until our Father took him home.  When I was younger, I remember the days of my grandmother's battle with breast and colon cancer. Yesterday I learned that my mother too is touched with this strangling disease.  What I also am trying to cope with is the effects this word has not only on the individual (I can not imagine the fear and/or anxiety this causes my mother) but the fear and life change of events that will occur to us all that are close to her.  I am struggling with my own fears and inability of being in control.  I reach out to the Lord for strength and guidance, but alas I still find myself coming back to selfish thoughts of "what do I do"?  Where do I turn? How can I be strong for others when I am hurting inside?  I've signed up for classes in college, now seem irrelevant but again, what do I do?  Do I drop them and sit and wait by the phone, for the call to be with my mother.  Do I carry on my daily life, thus feeling selfish and uncaring?  All these questions have no answer but to wait until we have more information to know what the plan is or how to react.  Patience is not easy, it is my struggle right now.  I want answers and a plan.  Until further consults and tests are performed to know what kind of lung cancer she has, I can only pray.  I ask you too to please pray for our family.  Being far from home at this time is so difficult.  Lord give me strength.

Friday, August 27, 2010

TGIF

TGIF!  Last night the community pig roast was a great get together.  Fellowship with new students and sharing of summer experiences with returning students was enjoyed by all.  We have lots of children on campus now!  WOW - the kids had a great time running around and getting acquainted with new pals while parents tried to coax them into sitting still for a moment to eat.  After the pig roast, many of us went to LeDuc's for frozen custard.  Everyone is anticipating school to start/resume next week.  I am anxious as well with a full plate.  Work is going well, I am excited to be learning a promoted role of Lead Operation Specialist.  I am working with our Corporate Director of Operations, assisting her in updating system tools for our production team.  Not much new to tell, but would like to share today's Day by Day devotional:

  "In both his background and in the content of his teaching and preaching, Jesus was not what people were expecting in a Messiah. 
  On the last day of the feast of the Tabernacles, where water ceremonies and prayers for rain had been offered, Jesus spoke of himself as the source of water from heaven. Let anyone who is thirsty come to me. he said (John7:37) These words divided the people and created enough of a disturbance to merit the calling of the temple police.
  Still, in the church today there are many issues that would divide us and bring us into conflict.  The ministry of Jesus, Galilean carpenter - who healed on the Sabbath and spoke of himself as the bread of life and source of water from heaven - reminds us that our expectations and presuppositions can be wrong, just as many were wrong in Jesus' day about him.
  Today let us examine our prejudices, our expectations of others, and our biasis; and may we drink deeply of Christ's compassion for all."

Thursday, August 26, 2010

School Begins - Feelings and Opinions by Marcia

Well, the summer is coming to a close.  The new seminarians and families have arrived on campus and we have been busy making them feel welcome.  Tonight is the first big community dinner of fall and we are all gathering for a pig roast.  It is an exciting time at Nashotah House.  Heather has been volunteering on campus as a crew leader with the High Seas VBS program.  At first I was hesitant about participating in the event as it is related to the new group of individuals that have decided to attend our campus mass services on Sundays.  There has a been a big debate as to whether this service is a "break away" church or a lab service.  Our dean has advised us that Nashotah continues to worship in the Episcopal tradition and this service has always been open to the community.  Though comments have been made which make this sometimes difficult to understand we want to continue to work and learn together in peace and harmony.  Today Heather was told by a very young boy that he might not be able to remain in her group since she still attends church at Zion (a local TEC church) and that his dad told him that Zion was not good for him.  It is such a sad state that the children are now involved in the church politics in a way that they do not understand.  It creates hurt and confusion.  Please continue to pray for unity amongst Christians rather than the continued separation of church.  Classes for seminarians resume next week and for Heather Sept 1st.  I too will be jumping on the learning band wagon.  I have registered at UW-Waukesha for a night class to begin a slow journey of education to pursue a business degree.  My first class will be Cultural Anthropology.  On campus, Nashotah House has given spouses the opportunity to take Aesthetic Theology in the evening for either credit or audit.  It will be a good way for the spouse to integrate into the spiritual and community life.  I'm glad I only started with one class at UW, because I look forward to taking this class for credit as well.  In addition to those 2 classes, I am currently enrolled in an iconology class on Saturday mornings.  I am writing the icon of the Archangel Michael.  It is a very exciting and spiritual experience.  You can watch the progress of the painting on my facebook photo page.  Each week is a progressive step.  Last Sat I etched the image of St. Michael on the poplar wood gesso board.  This Sat I will be applying the clay and gold leaf to the halo.  Until next time, I will close with a prayer for the Unity of the Church found on page 818 of BCP:

O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace:
Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions;
take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord;
that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
AMEN